living on minimum wage

sean cummings asked:

Oklahoma Lt. Governor hopeful Cathy Cummings and her husband live on minimum wage for a month. See their struggles in this 20 minute video.

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25 thoughts on “living on minimum wage

  1. Out Of Place Ninja

    local lawyers

    I appreciate your attempt to understand what it is like to live on minimum
    wage, however I live above minimum wage and I can’t afford health
    insurance. Between my rent and fuel bills (live too far from work to walk
    or bike and no public transit yet), have half my income is gone right
    there. Add utilities and other expenses and I am left with about $30 a week
    for food to cover me and a rescued kitty that I just couldn’t take to the
    pound. There just isn’t any jobs here paying better than I’m making now
    within the range I can afford to drive. However you appear to have gotten a
    taste of what it’s like. Hopefully it softened your hearts. I have never
    asked for handouts from anyone. All I have asked is opportunity. A chance.
    From experience it seems I may never be able to escape this. I feel bad for
    those worse off than myself. I wish I could help them but I can barely help
    myself.

    Reply
  2. Thomas Cha

    bonita

    I know nothing about Cathy Cummings (as I do not live in OK) but after
    watching this video, I will bet you $100 that she is a democrat. Minimum
    wage jobs were not meant to provide a living and to live off of. It’s
    unfortunate that people have to resort to minimum wage jobs due to various
    circumstances but it’s not going to work. Just like trying to put a square
    peg into a round hole. And when it doesn’t work, blame the peg
    manufacturer. Find a higher paying job if the minimum wage job is not
    working out for you. If you don’t have any marketable skills, how is that
    anyone else’s fault or problem? People need to be accountable for their
    own livelihood. I may come off harsh but life is harsh and unfair.
    Whether you make minimum wage or way above that, life is hard and unfair.
    

    Reply
  3. Canis Lupus

    media bias

    Thank you so much for educating me. I honestly don’t have words enough to
    convey how important this video was to helping me see the importance of
    raising the minimum wage. I hate to say this but I lived better than that
    when I was on Suplemental Security Income and Section 8 housing. the
    frightening thing is I lover very well now and the little bits of money you
    were trying to stretch through the month is more than I throw away on
    various stupid things each month. My entertainment budget for the month is
    more than you guys made that month and I am a diligent retirement saver
    401K plan. It really did not hit home till the dudes health started going
    down. The house itself was unhealthy so where poor people live even when
    housed is still a determent to their health. Imagine getting sicker having
    to stay there over time. Your health would eventually fail due to constant
    exposure to that horrible house mold or left over pet dander. You would
    lose your minimum wage job due to being sick. You would apply for
    disability benefit and likely be found ineligible. You would fight the
    losing battle to keep your mold pet dander filled home. You would
    eventually lose the house when hospitalized for breathing issues beyond
    your control. You lose your job while in hospital and when released you
    and your good lady wife are living in your car homeless so you can stay
    together. Your car suffers because its routine maintenance can’t be done.
    And worse of all dumb-asses like me might think it is all your fault for
    being too lazy… That is until now because you educated me. You gave me a
    priceless gift in this video you have changed my life and I can’t thank you
    enough.

    I am autistic and this is exactly what I needed to see to make the minimum
    wage increase logic make sense to me. You broke life on minimum wages down
    to its dollar and cents real life situations. Poverty is a trap and
    minimum wage is poverty even if you work it is still a trap. I always said
    the minimum wage is a slave wage now I see proof beyond doubt to its
    truth. I pray you make it into the governors office. Even if you don’t
    make Governor God Bless you for this video that opened my eyes and gave me
    new perspectives I sorely needed. Thank youso very much. WOLF

    Reply
  4. Exterminate Bullies

    cabin rentals

    The bus is a good idea depending where you live. In Albuquerque it’s 30
    cents for low income and the buses run every 10 mins. And if the racks are
    full you can actually bring your bike on the bus. But that’s not
    everywhere. Having to walk to take a bus shouldn’t be a big deal..forced
    exercise is just as healthy. But other then that some counties are better
    then others.

    Reply
  5. Derek Reed

    Classic sports cars

    Cathy,
    I am originally from Oklahoma and currently reside in Alaska where I teach
    in the public school system. I lived in Ada where I worked two jobs, my
    wife worked one, and we were both full time students. Thank you for doing
    this and advocating for the people who are trying to get out of poverty,
    but literally cannot catch a break to do so. I’ve been very disappointed in
    my home state as I’ve watched the political arena over the last year, but
    you are making me proud. 

    Reply
  6. Teri Sugai

    New Site

    Neither my husband nor I have a college degree and we both have done very
    well through hard work. Minimum wage was not meant to be a living wage. I
    would rather invest in education and creating opportunities for people to
    better themselves.

    Reply
  7. Rebecca Smith

    New Site

    red beans and rice, grits, eggs,Mac and cheese, greens, turkey legs and
    Stove Top Stuffing into the liquid turkey was cooked. the poor doit
    everyday, and not a game! thank God, I was gainfully employed.

    Reply
  8. Heather Melodie

    injury lawyer

    Honestly, working on minimum wage is possible and the us does have it
    better than other countries. Which we should all be thankful for, but
    living on minimum wage and trying to stay healthy is the hardest part. All
    of us as people can live without all the fancier things like a car and what
    really is sad is that the food industry makes it harder for the poor to be
    healthy. All the good foods like fruits and vegetables are hard to obtain
    because of their price, especially for those living in areas where the soil
    is not as fertile. She couldnt even get her bananas or more fruits, and
    they are more expensive yet they go bad faster! Doesnt make any sense. 

    Reply
  9. Steven JG

    pc parts

    Wow , lol new poor are bad at being poor. I can’t believe they have a car
    and health insurance?!? What do they expect? Get rid of the apt or at least
    the electricity. Start plotting on new ways to get more money. If you even
    have a minimum wage job these days you are lucky and should be thankful and
    not complain. The gov had good intentions but like most liberals , she does
    not understand that she will only hurt the poor even more by raising
    minimum wage, losing available jobs and then by forcing people onto welfare
    and food stamps where they will not be gaining any experience into the
    workforce and will increase chances of them staying unemployed and in
    poverty. the poor in the u.s are no where as unfortunate as the poor in
    third world countries however raising minimum wage now would push us in
    that direction.

    Reply
  10. James Robinson

    New Site

    The cost of my daily bus fare 5 days a week is equal to what I would spend
    in gas driving my own car, so there is no benefit to doing it. Driving
    myself it’s a 40 minute drive each way, if I take the bus it’s over an hour
    each way. There is no benefit for me to take the bus.

    Reply
  11. Tom Gutowski

    celebrity scandals

    wow those numbers are insane… i live in downtown state college for 425 a
    month at a much nicer place than yours and my utilities are about 25$ a
    month… you would save a lot to if you would give up the smartphone and
    you must have 2 cars on your plan because my insurance is only 60$ a month
    as a 23 year old driving a 3000gt… your health insurance is the real
    killer but you cant really do much about that now that we are forced to buy
    premium plans… either way you should move to state college haha and youll
    have an extra 200-300 a month for food and gas

    Reply
  12. officialpickle

    cute kitty

    This was heartbreaking for me to watch. I am 23 years old and you guys are
    old enough to be my parents. I made me sick to have to see people living
    like this, starving and eating so little to the point of weight loss. I was
    shocked at how both of you still seemed to have a positive vibe through out
    the video. I am praying for you and everyone else on full time Minimum
    wage. God bless guys.

    Reply
  13. Dena Park

    my pad

    I dont bring home that in a month ….. and im not minimum wage try this
    example …. i dont need a video to do the math … its not just them it is
    everyone …. the insurance companies are ruling the world …. example
    your pay before taxes is 34k per year … that is 2833.34 per month 16.35
    per hour … after taxes/medicare/cocial security deductions of 753.09 that
    is 2080.25 per month ….well then you have to pay to add your family to
    your insurance and that is an additional 1009.00 .. leaving a grand total
    of $1071.25 ….. i would feel rich with 2144.00 in my pocket yet i make
    too much for food stamps and get no housing assistance and im damn sure not
    getting a break on my insurance premiums so i would live in worse poverty
    than working for minimum wage with discounted insurance and getting housing
    and food assistance ….. hmmmm …. wait maybe i need a new carrer !!! My
    two cents! Lets wake up and realize it is not the hourly pay we all make it
    is the entire economy and it just keeps getting worse !!! Vote smart and
    quit voting for politicians being bought by the high paid insurance
    companies and vote for the ones who can truly fix it for everyone not just
    a few!

    Reply

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